Collapsible-tube-closure device



Aug. 17, 1926.

H. T. GOSS COLLAPSIBLE TUBE CLOSURE DEVICE Filed July 20. 1925 vweutoz 909a) W ah/ Patented Aug. 17, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

HARRY T. GOSS, OF RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO BJORNULF JOHNSEN, OF NEW YORK; N. Y.

COLLAPSIBLE-TUBE-CLOSURE DEVICE.

Application filed July 20, 1925.

The invention relates to improvements in collapsible tube closure devices and more particularly to means for covering and uncovering the outlet opening of a collapsible tube adapted to contain tooth paste, shaving paste and other paste materials commonly sold in collapsible tubes.

An object of the invention is the provision of a simple and effective closure for such tubes which cannot become separated from the tube so that the danger of loss of the closure or cap is eliminated.

Another object is the provision of a closure device co-acting with an opening in the tube neck in such manner as to cut off the flow of paste through the outlet opening cleanly and to largely prevent the formation of hardened paste within or upon the surface of the tube neck.

Another object i the provision of a device of the character indicated in which thetube may be filled at the factory and closed, and the closure device sealed in closed position by a sealing strip or member which can only be removed by breaking or mutilating the same so that the purchaser will have the assurance that the tube has never been opened after packing, whereby he is assured that the paste within the tube will be in proper condition.

Other objects of the invention consist in the provision of improved parts and combinations of elements all as will be more fully described in the following specification and particularly set'forth in the appended claims. i

In the preferred form of the invention the tube is provided with a rigid cylindrical neck having a closed outer end with a laterally extending delivery slot formed through the cylindrical surface of the neck immediately below the closed top of the neck. The closure and cut 05 member for this slot takes the form of a sleeve threaded upon the neck, preferably by means of a screw thread of sharp pitch, the upper edge of the sleeve being beveled to form a sharp edge. A partial rotation of the sleeve in one direction or the other serves to cover or uncover the slot, sharply and cleanly, and removal of the sleeve or cap member is prevented by the provision of suitable stop means, as by Serial No. 44,702.

slightly enlarging the outer edge of the neck to form a seat, against which the upper edge of the sleeve will abut in its closed position. A paper sealing strip or other suitable sealing device is preferably secured about the lower edge of the sleeve and the adjacent portion of the tube neck, the sleeve being in its upper, closed position, when the tube has been packed and is shipped from the factory.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood attention is hereby di rooted to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and illustrating certain embodiments of this invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through the upper portion and neck of a collapsible tube having the slotclosing sleeve mounted thereon in closed position with the sealing strip'also shown in position; A

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the tube shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device as shown in Fig. 2 with the sleeve in lower or opened position and with the sealing strip removed;

Fig. at is a side elevation of the upper portion of the tube and the neck portion of the same, the closure-sleeve being shown in section, separated from the neck, prior to being mounted thereon;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section corresponding1 to Fig. 1 but with the sealing strip remove and the closure sleeve in its opened position; and

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a modified form of the device in which a spiral spring is used to aid in maintaining the closuresleevein its raised or closed position.

Referring to the drawings the collapsible tube indicated at 1 is provided as is usual with a rigid cylindrical neck 2 forming the upper end of the tube, this neck being closed by an unperforated end closure 3. An outlet opening 4 extends through the cylindrical surface of neck 2 preferably immediately below the closed end 3 of the neck, which is a point where the protruding paste will be free from obstruction or the possibility of contacting with the tube. This opening preferably takes the form of an elongated laterally extending slot.

Mounted upon neck 2 is the closure sleeve .5 which is screw threaded upon the neck.

Preferably the neck 2 is provided with an external screw thread 6 of sharp pitch while the sleeve 5 is provided with a corresponding internal screw thread 7. As appears in Fig. 4, the thread 7 may extend substantially to the outer end of the neck 2 and is of such pitch and is properly positioned to clear the opening 4. WVith this design, the thread is of such a sharp pitch that the sleeve may be moved from closed toopen position with only a fraction of one turn of the sleeve if desired Nevertheless, a thread of at least one complete turn is .provided to securely retain the sleeve, but without making the neck portion of excessive length; that is, an extra neck extension particularly for the opening 4 is not necessary and may be avoided. Furthermore, with a thread of sharp pitch the sleeve when turned of course advances rapidly longitudinally of the neck and permits the protruding paste or the like to be sharply cut off'without being gradually smeared along the peripheral edge of the sleeve as would occur in many instances with the use of standard threads. The upper edge of the sleeve is preferably beveled as is indicated at 8 to form a sharp edge which is adapted to sharply cut off the opening 4 as the sleeve is rotated to its upper position. The neck 2 is provided with stop means co-acting with the sleeve .to prevent the removal of" the latter from the neck. -This is preferably accomplished by slightly enlarging or beading the upper edge of the neck as is indicated at 9 after the sleeve has been mounted on the neck, to form a seat against which the sharp upper edge of the sleeve will press when the sleeve is in its upper or closed position.

Preferably the sleeve is provided with a knurled shoulder 10 extending thereabout which may readily be gripped by the thumb and forefinger when the opening 4 is to be opened or closed. The knurled shoulder may be preferably spaced from the cutting edge 8 to avoid interference therewith and to permit the sleeve to be manipulated without the operators fingers coming in contact with the paste. The neck 2 is preferably provided adjacent 'its lower end with an outwardly extending peripheral shoulder 11 against which the bottom edge of the sleeve will abut when the sleeve'is in its lower or opened position as shown in Figs. 3 or 6.

The sealing strip 12 is preferably wrapped around the lower edge portion of sleeve 5, below the knurled shoulder 10 and about the adjacent portion of the neck 2, this being done at the factory before the tube is sent out, the sleeve 5 being in its uppermost position as is indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. If the seal 12 is a paper strip or the like, it may be secured in position by an adhesive. Of whatever character the seal and in whatever manner the same is secured in position, its character and the means for securing the same in place should be such as to result in the breaking or mutilation thereof when the strip is removed. This sealing strip therefore protects the purchaser of the tube against the possibility of the opening 4 having been opened to the air at any time before his purchase.

When the tube isfirst to be used the user can remove the sealing strip very readily 13 thereof and tearing the strip from the tube.

If desired a spring 14, as shown in Fig. 7, may be mounted about the neck 2 below the sleeve 5, the lower end of the spring bearing against'the shoulder 11 of the tube and its upper end bearing against the lower edge of sleeve 5. This spring will thus render more certain the maintenance of the sleeve in its upper or closing position, and if the pitch of the screw thread 6 and 7 is made sufliciently steep the spring 14 will serve to automatically move the closure-sleeve into its top position at any time the sleeve is released in its lower position.' .With many forms of the device, the spring is not necessary to hold the sleeve in its raised position.

It will be noted that the provision of the opening 4 at the extreme upper end of the cylindrical portion of the neck, and the use of a horizontal or laterally extending slotof narrow width at this point is advantageous since with this construction only the uppermost portion of the paste within the tube will be subjected to the action of air When opening 4 is uncoveredg. When a lengthwise slot is formed through the neck, or an outlet opening is formed through the neck at a point some distance below the upper end of the neck, a column of hardened paste is apt to be formed back of and above the same in the neck because of the evaporation of the solvent when the opening is uncovered. In the present construction, however, only a comparatively small amount of paste at the extreme upper end of the neck will thus be subject to the action of the air. The flow of the paste or liquid through the opening 4 is sharply cut off by the Inc beveled upper edge of the sleeve when the neck having an end closure, said neck havcylindrical wall thereof immediately below the end closure and having a screw thread extending thereabout clear of said opening, the edge of said end closure being enlarged to form a stop, and a sleeve rotatably mounted'on said neck having a screw thread co-acting with that of said neck and having a beveled upper edge adapted to closely cover said slot and abut against said stop when rotated in'one direction and to uncover said slot when rotated in the-other direction.

2. In collapsible tubes, the combination of a tube terminating in a rigid cylindrical neck having a closed outer end and a laterally extending slot immediately below the end closure, and a sleeve rotatably mounted on said neck, said neck and sleeve having co-acting screw threads to enable said sleeve torise or fall to cause its upper edge to cover or uncover said slot as it is rotated in one direction or the other, said neck havinghaving a screw thread of sharp pitch extending thereabout clear of said opening, and a sleeve rotatably mounted on said neck, having a screw thread co-acting with that of said neck and having a beveled edge closely fitting on said cylindrical surface, adapted mg a slot extending'laterally through the to cover and uncover said opening as the .sleeve is rotated in one dlrectlon or' the other, said neck having stop means to prevent the removal of the sleeve therefrom. v

4:; In collapsible tubes, the combination of a tube terminating in a rigid cylindrical neck having an end closure, said neck having aslot extending laterally through the cylindrical wall thereof immediately below the end closure and having a screw thread extending thereabout clear of said opening, the edge of said end closure being enlarged to form a stop, and a sleeve rotatably mounted on said neck having a screw thread co--acting with that of said neck and having a beveled upper edge adapted to closely cover said slot and abut against said stop when rotated in one direction and to uncover said slot when rotated in the other direction, and a spiral spring surrounding said neck below said sleeve, pressing against the lower edge of the latter and adapted to hold it in its slot-closing position.

5. In collapsible tubes, the combination of a tube terminating inia rigid cylindrical neck having a closed'outer end and an opening immediately below the end closure, and a Sleeve rotatably mounted on said neck, said neck and sleeve having co-acting screw threads to enable said sleeve to rise or fall to cause its upper edge to cover or uncover said opening as it is rotated in' one direction or the other, said neck having stop means to prevent the removal of said sleeve therefrom, and a sealing strip secured about the lower edge portion of said sleeve and the adjacent portion of said neck when the sleeve is in itsupper closed position, said seal being adapted tobe broken by removal thereof.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HARRY T. GOSS. 

